News

Drunk driver smashed into cars and taxi while three times over the limit

A DRUNK-DRIVER smashed into parked cars then crashed into a taxi as he careered through a Canvey housing estate while more than three times the limit.

Christopher Ball, also drove into the path of taxi driver Nigel Warren, in Link Road, Canvey, causing him to crash.

Mr Warren, 50, who was working for Steve’s Taxis, suffered head injuries and had to be taken to Southend Hospital.

Southend Magistrates’ Court heard Ball, of Link Road, Canvey, had 263 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood when he drove his Vauxhall Corsa into a Ford Focus in Papenburg Road, Canvey, before hitting a BMW Mini in nearby Link Road.

The legal limit is 80 milligrams.

Police were called after Ball, 30, was seen driving erratically through residential streets at about 8.30pm in Papenburg Road.

Lesley Chipps, prosecuting, said: “A witness heard a bang outside and saw a car had struck a Ford Focus, forcing it into a mature tree.

“At that point, the driver did stop and was seen reversing the car, which stood stationary for a minute, before he drove off slowly.”

While officers were searching for the drunk driver, Ball drove on the wrong side of the road towards a Mini and crashed into the back of it, before driving away.

Then, just after 9pm, he crashed with Mr Warren’s taxi, writing it off.

Ball admitted drink-driving, driving without due care and attention, failing to report an accident on Papenburg Road, failing to report an accident on Link Road and failing to stop after crashing into the Mini, on April 6 this year.

He said: “It takes a very brave person to recognise problems in one’s own life. He was brave enough to recognise them prior to the incident and has been brave enough to try again.”

The court heard Ball had not drunk alcohol since the incident.

He was sentenced to a 12- month supervision order, must go on a drink-driving course for ten days and carry out 180 hours unpaid work. He was also banned from driving for 24 months.

Christine Robinson, chairman of the bench, told Ball: “Because of the personal mitigation Mr Samuels has put forward today and because you are a man of good character, we will not be giving a custodial sentence.”

He was also ordered to pay £85 costs and £60 victim surcharge.

Comments (12)

Battling depression! Depression is just a state of mind and no excuse to go drink driving. I personally would have sent him to prison for 6 months he would have got over his depression pretty quick!!!!!

Battling depression! Depression is just a state of mind and no excuse to go drink driving. I personally would have sent him to prison for 6 months he would have got over his depression pretty quick!!!!!white_van_ man

"because you are a man of good character, we will not be giving a custodial sentence”........ i should think not ! poor bloke has mental issues, and scratched a few cars, big deal, and they think about a prison sentence !!! there's thugs, muggers, and knife weilding low life running amok all over the borough and they barely ever catch any, let alone lock any up...... lets see some PRIORITY in law enforcement.........
..

"because you are a man of good character, we will not be giving a custodial sentence”........ i should think not ! poor bloke has mental issues, and scratched a few cars, big deal, and they think about a prison sentence !!! there's thugs, muggers, and knife weilding low life running amok all over the borough and they barely ever catch any, let alone lock any up...... lets see some PRIORITY in law enforcement.........
..pembury53

white_van_ man wrote:
Battling depression! Depression is just a state of mind and no excuse to go drink driving. I personally would have sent him to prison for 6 months he would have got over his depression pretty quick!!!!!

"Depression is just a state of mind"...? You need to do some research.

[quote][p][bold]white_van_ man[/bold] wrote:
Battling depression! Depression is just a state of mind and no excuse to go drink driving. I personally would have sent him to prison for 6 months he would have got over his depression pretty quick!!!!![/p][/quote]"Depression is just a state of mind"...? You need to do some research.boo beckett

If he swore at the judge, he would have been given 13+ years, like the guy from last week.

Imagine if the judges family member was killed by the likes of Ball, perhaps then he would take his job a little more seriously.

If he swore at the judge, he would have been given 13+ years, like the guy from last week.
Imagine if the judges family member was killed by the likes of Ball, perhaps then he would take his job a little more seriously.supermadmax

pembury53 wrote:
&quot;because you are a man of good character, we will not be giving a custodial sentence”........ i should think not ! poor bloke has mental issues, and scratched a few cars, big deal, and they think about a prison sentence !!! there's thugs, muggers, and knife weilding low life running amok all over the borough and they barely ever catch any, let alone lock any up...... lets see some PRIORITY in law enforcement.........

..

Maybe you missed the bit about the taxi driver sustaining head injuries, but then let's not split hairs as the rest of the crimes he committed only involved. A few scratched cars an someone's livelyhood. Poor bloke must of been so traumatic having to go to court when he is so I'll with depression. They should have just written him a letter attached to a get well card just politely telling him not to do it again.

[quote][p][bold]pembury53[/bold] wrote:
"because you are a man of good character, we will not be giving a custodial sentence”........ i should think not ! poor bloke has mental issues, and scratched a few cars, big deal, and they think about a prison sentence !!! there's thugs, muggers, and knife weilding low life running amok all over the borough and they barely ever catch any, let alone lock any up...... lets see some PRIORITY in law enforcement.........
..[/p][/quote]Maybe you missed the bit about the taxi driver sustaining head injuries, but then let's not split hairs as the rest of the crimes he committed only involved. A few scratched cars an someone's livelyhood. Poor bloke must of been so traumatic having to go to court when he is so I'll with depression. They should have just written him a letter attached to a get well card just politely telling him not to do it again.iknowbetter

pembury53 wrote:
&quot;because you are a man of good character, we will not be giving a custodial sentence”........ i should think not ! poor bloke has mental issues, and scratched a few cars, big deal, and they think about a prison sentence !!! there's thugs, muggers, and knife weilding low life running amok all over the borough and they barely ever catch any, let alone lock any up...... lets see some PRIORITY in law enforcement.........

..

So if he had mown down a friend or member of your family, in his drunken state, you wouldn't want that to be a priority. Mental health issues aside, he was driving a potential killing machine. Send him down for a least a year, and get him some help.

[quote][p][bold]pembury53[/bold] wrote:
"because you are a man of good character, we will not be giving a custodial sentence”........ i should think not ! poor bloke has mental issues, and scratched a few cars, big deal, and they think about a prison sentence !!! there's thugs, muggers, and knife weilding low life running amok all over the borough and they barely ever catch any, let alone lock any up...... lets see some PRIORITY in law enforcement.........
..[/p][/quote]So if he had mown down a friend or member of your family, in his drunken state, you wouldn't want that to be a priority. Mental health issues aside, he was driving a potential killing machine. Send him down for a least a year, and get him some help.Maddogg

white_van_ man wrote:
Battling depression! Depression is just a state of mind and no excuse to go drink driving. I personally would have sent him to prison for 6 months he would have got over his depression pretty quick!!!!!

&quot;Depression is just a state of mind"...? You need to do some research.

It is a state of mind. Depression is a mental thing not a physical thing. Mental state to do with emotions and feelings.

[quote][p][bold]boo beckett[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]white_van_ man[/bold] wrote:
Battling depression! Depression is just a state of mind and no excuse to go drink driving. I personally would have sent him to prison for 6 months he would have got over his depression pretty quick!!!!![/p][/quote]"Depression is just a state of mind"...? You need to do some research.[/p][/quote]It is a state of mind. Depression is a mental thing not a physical thing. Mental state to do with emotions and feelings.white_van_ man